WEBVTT A STRETCH OFWEATHER WHEN YOU MIGHT NEED ANAIR CONDITIONER.BUT THE SUSPECT DIDN'T GO HOMEWITH ANY FROM THIS STORE.53-YEAR-OLD BERNARDO CALANADOESN'T WORK FOR HOME DEPOT.USING THIS DISGUISE TO STEAL ACOUPLE OF AIR CONDITIONERS.>> IT'S VERY UNUSUAL.THIS IS A UNIQUE CASE. MIKE: ON SATURDAY MORNING POLICESAY THE HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTSMAN WALKED INTO THE PLAISTOWHOME DEPOT WEARING THE ORANGEEMPLOYEE VAST WITH THE NAMESHANNON AND FLOWERS DRAWN ON IT.HE THEN ALLEGEDLY LOADED TWO AIRCONDITIONERS INTO HIS TRUCK ANDWENT BACK INSIDE.THAT'S WHEN A MANAGER NOTICEDTHE APROTHERE IS NO SHANNON AT THIS HOMEDEPOT.>> THERE WAS NO EXPLANATION ASTO WHY.I DID ASK HIM WHERE HE GOT THEAPRON.HE TOLD ME HE'S HAD IT FORWHILE BUT WOULDN'T EXPLAINANYTHING FURTHER THAN THAT. INITIALLY OFFICERS COULDN'T FINDCALANA SO THEY LEFT, LEAVING ANUNMARKED CRUISER IN THE PARKINGLOT.>> MY BELIEF IS HE WAS ACTUALLYIN THE PARKING LOT WALKINGAROUND, WATCHING US THE WHOLEENTIRE TIME THAT WE WERE LOOKINGFOR HIM. MIKE: POLICE RUSHED BACK WHEN HEWENT TO THE TRUCK AGAIN.CORRECTS -- >> HE CLAIMED IT WASN'T HISTRUCK, THIS THAT AND THE OTHERTHING, KNEW NOTHING ABOUT AIRCONDITIONERS. MIKE: POLICE SAY CALANA TOOK OFFTHE VEST AND OFFICERS FOUND ITIN HIS BACK POCKET.TONIGHT HE'S FREE ON $500 BAILAND WILL FACE A JUDGE IN JULY.>> THERE'S A LOT OF THOUGHTBEHIND IT.IT PROVES THAT THIS MAN SAT ANTHOUGHT IF I PUT ON AN APRON, NOONE IS GOING TO RECOGNIZE MEGOING THROUGH THE STORE ANDTRYING TO TAKE SOMETHING OUT.THEY'RE GOING TO THINK I'M ANEMPLOYEE.AND AT FIRST, THEY DID. MIKE: NEWS9 WASN'T ABLE TO REACHTHE SUSPECT FOR COMMENT.

Man poses as Home Depot employee to steal air conditioners

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Updated: 8:45 AM CDT May 16, 2017

PLAISTOW, N.H. —

A Massachusetts man posed as a Home Depot employee over the weekend to steal air conditioners in Plaistow, police said.

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Police said the man wore a store apron to disguise himself, but that's also what gave him away.

Bernardo Calana, 53, of Haverhill, was arrested Saturday morning. Police said Calana was wearing an orange Home Depot apron with the name "Shannon" and flowers drawn on it.

Calana loaded two air conditioners into his pickup truck and went back inside the store, police said. A manager noticed the apron and called police, telling them that no one named Shannon worked in the store, police said.

"It's very unusual. This is a unique case," Officer Patrick Schiavone said. "There's a lot of thought behind it. It proves that this man sat and thought, 'Gee, if I put on an apron, no one's going to recognize me going through the store and trying to take something out. They're going to think I'm an employee.' And at first, they did."

Initially, officers couldn't find Calana, so they left, leaving an unmarked cruiser in the parking lot.

"My belief is he was actually in the parking lot walking around, watching us the whole time that we were looking for him," Schiavone said.

Police rushed back when Calana returned to his truck and arrested him."He claimed it wasn't his trcu, this that and the other thing. Knew nothing about air conditioners," Schiavone said.

Officials said he denied posing as an employee, but police found the Home Depot apron in his back pocket.

"There was no explanation as to why. I did ask him where he got the apron. He told me he's had it for a while but wouldn't explain anything further than that," Schiavone said.

Calana was released on $500 personal recognizance bail and will be arraigned in July. He was ordered to not go into any Home Depot store.